Committee OKs $500,000 for Minot State to launch innovation engineering bachelor’s program

The Magic Fund committee approved a $500,000 award to Minot State University to help launch a new bachelor of science in innovation engineering, which university officials said will begin this fall.

Steve Shirley, president of Minot State University, told the committee the program is the university’s first bachelor’s engineering offering and was approved by the Higher Learning Commission following a year-long review. "For the record, Steve Shirley, president of Minot State University," Shirley said, and described the request as a $500,000 ask to buy equipment and fund scholarships tied to workforce development.

Mark, the Minot Area Chamber EDC representative who reviewed the application, told the committee the chamber and its board recommended full approval. The award is intended to pair with the North Dakota Higher Education Challenge Grant program; Minot State would seek to leverage the local $500,000 to secure additional state funding.

Rick Hedberg, vice president for advancement at Minot State, said the university is pursuing industry grants and would use the requested dollars primarily as pass-through scholarships to attract and retain students. "We want impact right away," Hedberg said, describing scholarships as the near-term use rather than endowment funding.

Committee members asked about tuition and cohort size. Hedberg cited program costs of about $10,000 per year and Shirley estimated an initial cohort target in the range of 10–20 students. The university said it already has roughly a dozen students enrolled for the inaugural term, most from the western part of the state.

After discussion about benchmarks and agreement structures for any forgivable loan or match, a member moved and the committee voted to approve the $500,000 request; roll call recorded Keelan, Harness, Nelson and Perrin voting in favor and the motion passed.

The packet included letters of support from employers and a plan to track equipment purchases and scholarship commitments over time. Committee members said workforce development and retaining local talent were central rationales for approving the award.